Are Vallejo Admirals 'forever Young?'

Published By Times Herald

Last July 5, the Vallejo Admirals announced they were not going to make their scheduled road trip to play two Hawaii teams.

The surprise announcement by then-owner Joe Fontana forced the independent professional baseball league to adjust its schedule. It also became the first warning sign that the Vallejo team was in trouble financially.

Now a year later, with a new owner, new players, a new manager and even new teams in the Pacific Association, 2014 owner Bob Young envisions a more professional-running Vallejo franchise.

Young said it would be great if the Admirals averaged 1,500 fans per game, but would be happy with 500 to 750. He said he hopes to have a number of promotions to attract greater attendance than the Admirals had last year.

"I hope the fans are going to support us," Young said during a recent interview at the Times-Herald. "I always tell this story - this is not my team. The word Young is not on the jersey. It's Vallejo. I hope we can establish this franchise and that the people in the town will be proud to have their own team and support it."

Last year there was deep uncertainty that the Admirals would get through its first season, much less begin a new one in 2014.

During last season, after news leaked out that Fontana owed not only the players, but various vendors and employees, the league suspended its season until its financial obligations were met. Local businessman Buck Kamphausen and the Tito Fuentes Baseball Academy soon took over the team, and play resumed, but there was no guarantee the Admirals would take the field again in 2014.

Then Kamphausen said he was not interested in running the team again and Tito and Alma Fuentes wanted to stay with the Admirals but not necessarily in ownership positions.

At the time of the key Hawaii announcement that exposed some of the Admirals' money woes, Young owned both the Hawaii Stars and Maui Na Koa Ikaika.

"It left us all in the league in a very dire position," Young said of the Admirals debacle.

"When a member does not fufill its obligations it's very upsetting. At this level, we don't have performance bonds or a reserve. We are just a new league. We moved very quickly to embrace the East Bay Lumberjacks and the Santa Rosa Rose Buds to fill out the schedule."

Less than a year later, Young and NorCalSports LLC have purchased the Admirals. Young's two Hawaii teams, meanwhile, will go dark for the season.

During offseason meetings, the league told Young that trips to Hawaii were not financially feasible for everyone. San Rafael Pacifics' managing principal owner Eugene Lupario and president and general manager Mike Shapiro asked Young if he would remain in the league but in a different way.

"We told Bob, 'We love you but all of the teams can't afford the $50,000-plus that it costs to send teams to Hawaii," Shapiro said. "Bob got it. He said, 'I understand.'"

Young is not exactly new to owning independent league baseball teams like Fontana. In 2006, Young and his partners acquired the Orange County Flyers of the now defunct Golden Baseball League. Last season, his Maui team won the Pacific Association championship.

Young tried to put together a four-team league in Hawaii this offseason but it didn't come together in time.

"In discussions with Eugene and Michael, they wanted to still be my partners," Young said. "Being a lawyer, I barked a little bit but they said, 'Why don't you take over Vallejo? We think this is a really great opportunity.'"

Young said with Napa a possibility for next season, he envisions the league growing in Northern California.

"I have every intention of maintaining this franchise (in Vallejo) and building a viable franchise," Young said. "I think it's a very good town to support this business model. This town is on the rebound and on the rise again. We think it's going to be great."

The field manager for the Admirals will be Garry Templeton II, who served as the Hawaii Stars skipper last season. Templeton's father, Gary Sr., is the former shortstop who spent 16 seasons in the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and New York Mets.

Young said it was his decision to hire Templeton.

"Garry Templeton II and Garry Templeton (Sr.) are two of the nicest gentlemen and class acts that I've come across in my nine years of this," Young said. "I think the world of Garry. When the Stars weren't going to (happen), I wanted Garry to have a shot. He's great with (players)."

Fuentes Jr. has moved from field manager to vice president and director of player development. Young said he loves the way Fuentes works with players and says he is a "wonderful teacher."

Young said he noticed Wilson Park was a bit too quiet the first time he came to Vallejo last season. He envisions more theme-park nights at the park this season, including a "Legends of the Bay" theme featuring former big leaguers as well as "Love Boat Night" and "Disco Night." He said cheerleaders and a mascot are in the talking stages too.

Young said if there's one major difference between Admirals games compared to last season, it should be energy.

"I'm a firm believer in my life in being responsible for everything," he said. "This undertaking starts with me. I'm responsible in my vision. I want to run an organization that is professional and first class. I want to do things right, treat the customer right."

Besides the Admirals and the Pacifics, the league will feature the Sonoma Stompers as well as the Pittsburg Mettle, formerly the East Bay Lumberjacks.

Shapiro said Tory Hernandez will become the league's new commissioner. Hernandez has former ties with the Los Angeles Angels and working with agent Scott Boras. Former Giants executive vice president Corey Busch served as a consultant for the league during the offseason.

Young was born and raised outside New York City and rooted for the New York Giants and his boyhood hero, Willie Mays. He starred in soccer at South Side High School in New York and Brown University in Providence, R.I. where he received his Bachelor's degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the National Law Center of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and moved to Los Angeles where he commenced his legal career.

He maintains his law offices in Los Angeles and New York where he specializes in business and real estate. He resides in Mar Vista Hills in West Los Angeles.

"It's really a kick to be back in the Bay Area," he said. "I walked into the ferry building the other day and everyone is in orange and black. For a minute, it was a bit disconcerting because I am used to Dodger blue. There's a sense of returning to some roots. I always thought I was going to live here because of the Giants."